Good News for Everyone!

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34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:34-43 NIV)

How is the New Year thus far, Friend? What are you making of the year? Or what is the New Year making of you? You and I are believers of the Most HIgh God and because of that, we trust God and we follow His lead. May God lead us towards the place where we can fully serve Him and His people, both inside and outside the Church? Are you ready?

My second year of college saw me having a roommate from Pakistan. He was from among a large group of Middle Eastern students who made it to the USA to study engineering. Jaffer was his first name and he and I got along well. I remember one night I was playing one of my Beatles LPs. (Kids, talk to grandma or grandpa about what LPs are; if they don't remember, say they're records! Google it!). But his immediate reaction to The Beatles was amazement and a declaration I have never forgotten: "They sing with such authority!" Indeed. I had kinda known that but his statement put it into perspective. I immediately thought back to comments about Jesus, Who taught with great authority. Matthew 7:29 and Mark 1:22: Both read: "“For He taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” The same can be said about Peter, as we find in that Jesus anointed Peter as the one who held the keys of the Church and gave him power in Heaven and earth to carry out the mission of the gospel. His message as shared in this passage is an awesome one that helps further explain Jesus' baptism and Jesus' mission.

God shows no favoritism: The message shared with an outsider, Cornelius, a Roman centurion, helped Peter himself realize the error of staying away from Gentiles. The gospel was as much for them as for Jews. Peter, a devout Jew who wouldn't normally enter a Gentile home, is now standing in Cornelius's house, making a stunning declaration: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right." This is a watershed moment—Peter's worldview is being transformed. He thought God's favor was limited to Israel, that Gentiles were unclean outsiders. But God has shown him that the gospel is for all nations, all ethnicities, all people. God doesn't play favorites based on ethnicity, social status, or religious pedigree. He accepts anyone from any nation who fears Him and seeks righteousness. This is the heart of the Baptism of the Lord—Jesus' baptism and anointing inaugurated a ministry that would break down every barrier, cross every boundary, and offer salvation to all people. The light that dawned in Bethlehem was always meant to illuminate the whole world.

Jesus' baptism was His anointing for carrying out the mission of God. Peter starts with Jesus' baptism—not His birth, not His genealogy, but the moment when He was publicly anointed with the Holy Spirit and power. This is where Jesus' public ministry began, the launching point for everything that followed. "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power"—the baptism was Jesus' anointing, His commissioning, His empowerment for the mission ahead. And what did this Spirit-anointed Jesus do? He "went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." Jesus' ministry was characterized by goodness and healing, liberation and restoration. He didn't come to condemn but to deliver, not to destroy but to rescue.

Peter then shares that there were eyewitnesses to the baptism and to the ministry that followed. The apostles are eyewitnesses—they saw Jesus' ministry, witnessed His death, and encountered Him alive after the resurrection. "He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead." The resurrection appearances weren't public spectacles but intimate encounters with chosen witnesses who could testify to what they'd experienced. Jesus didn't just appear as a ghost or vision—He ate and drank with them, demonstrating that His resurrection body was real, physical, and capable of normal human activities. "He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead." Jesus isn't just a teacher or prophet—He's the appointed Judge of all humanity. Everyone—living and dead, past and future—will stand before Him.

Finally, the promise of the Gospel: "All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." This is the promise that changes everything. "All the prophets"—the entire Old Testament, every promise made, every prophecy spoken—points to Jesus. And what does belief in Him accomplish? "Forgiveness of sins through his name." Not through religious performance, not through ethnic identity, not through moral achievement, but through Jesus' name—through who He is and what He's done. Forgiveness is available to "everyone who believes"—no exceptions, no exclusions, no qualifications beyond faith. The same Spirit who descended on Jesus at His baptism is the Spirit who convicts us of sin, draws us to faith, and transforms us into Christ's image. The Baptism of the Lord reminds us that Jesus was anointed to bring good news to all nations, and we who believe in Him are baptized into His mission. In Christian baptism, we're united to Christ's death and resurrection, we receive the same Spirit that anointed Jesus, and we're commissioned to continue His mission of going around doing good, healing the brokenhearted, and proclaiming forgiveness of sins to everyone who believes. Peter's message to Cornelius is a message for us: God shows no favoritism, the gospel is for all people, and everyone who believes receives forgiveness through Jesus' name.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for being baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit to inaugurate a ministry that breaks down every barrier and offers salvation to all people; thank You that God shows no favoritism, that the gospel is for every nation, and that everyone who believes in You receives forgiveness of sins; help us, empowered by the same Spirit, to go around doing good and proclaiming this good news to all people, in Your name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This Baptism of the Lord Sunday, ask God to show you one person from a different background than yours—whether ethnically, socially, economically, or culturally—with whom you can share the good news that God accepts people from every nation who turn to Him in faith.

I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God and you matter to me. Be the special person God called you to be and bring love to all people.

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.

The Journey of Jesus

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13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17 NIV)

I find it difficult to list a date of when I started my "public ministry." I taught Sunday school, even volunteered to be our church's youth director for free, but I can't pinpoint a date. I was hired by a large Houston church after completing my first year of seminary and I was being paid, so I could say I was a professional. And on June 13, 1976 I was ordained a Deacon in the United Methodist Church as was the custom in those days of two ordinations, first as Deacon, then as Elder. That event took place on the campus of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where our annual conference was held that year. I drove home and sat on the sofa to rest and my youngest sister sat across from me and stared at me. "Why are you staring at me?" I asked. "Well, you're a minister now and I wanted to see how different you are." I laughed and said, "I am still the same person I was before I was ordained. Do you want me to hit you?" She laughed and said no thanks.

The Baptism of the Lord, which most churches will celebrate this coming Sunday, marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, and Matthew's account reveals a moment of profound theological significance. "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John." This is stunning in itself—Jesus travels from Galilee to the wilderness, from His home to the river, to submit to John's baptism of repentance. Why would the sinless Son of God seek a baptism designed for sinners? Baptism was not a ritual for Jews; it was reserved for Gentiles (nonJews) who wanted to become Jews, but John knew repentance was needed by everyohe and so offered it to all who would listen and present themselves for baptism. "But John tried to deter him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?'" John recognizes the incongruity. He's been baptizing repentant sinners, calling them to confess their sins and prepare for the kingdom. But this is different. John knows who Jesus is—the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the one infinitely greater. John needs what Jesus offers; Jesus doesn't need what John offers. Yet Jesus insists: "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus doesn't explain in detail, but the meaning is clear: His baptism isn't about His need for repentance but about His identification with sinners. From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus positions Himself in solidarity with those He came to save. He stands in the river with tax collectors and prostitutes, submitting to the same baptism they receive, identifying fully with humanity in our need for cleansing even though He Himself needs no cleansing. This is the pattern of the incarnation—God becoming one of us, not just observing our condition but entering into it, not standing apart in holy separation but standing alongside us in redemptive identification.

When Jesus is baptized, heaven itself responds: "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him." Notice the sequence—Jesus comes up from the water, and immediately heaven is "opened" or "torn open" (the Greek suggests violent rending, as if the barrier between heaven and earth is being ripped apart). The Spirit descends in visible form "like a dove"—gentle, peaceful, settling upon Jesus and remaining there. This is the anointing of the Messiah, the empowering for ministry, the visible demonstration that Jesus possesses the fullness of the Spirit. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would have the Spirit of the Lord resting upon Him (Isaiah 11:2, 61:1), and here that prophecy is fulfilled. The dove-like descent suggests peace, purity, and the new creation (recalling Noah's dove bringing news that the flood waters had receded and new life was emerging). At this moment by the Jordan, God is inaugurating new creation through His anointed Son empowered by the Spirit. The Baptism of the Lord reveals the Trinity in action—the Son being baptized, the Spirit descending, the Father speaking. This is one of Scripture's clearest glimpses of the three persons of the Godhead working in perfect unity for our redemption.

Then comes the Father's declaration: "And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'" The voice from heaven is unprecedented—God Himself speaking audibly, publicly affirming His Son. "This is my Son"—declaring Jesus' unique identity and relationship to the Father. Not "a son" among many, but "my Son," the beloved, the only begotten. "Whom I love"—the Greek word agapētos means "beloved," the object of special affection, the one treasured above all others. This is relational language expressing the eternal love between Father and Son. "With him I am well pleased"—complete satisfaction, total delight, perfect approval. Notice the timing: this declaration comes before Jesus has preached a sermon, performed a miracle, or accomplished any public ministry. The Father's pleasure isn't based on Jesus' achievements but on who He is—the beloved Son. This is crucial for us. God's approval of Jesus at His baptism isn't contingent on what Jesus will do but on the relationship they share. Similarly, our identity as God's beloved children isn't earned through performance but received through Christ. In baptism, we're united to Christ, and the Father's declaration over Jesus becomes true for us: we are beloved, we are His children, He is pleased with us—not because of what we've accomplished but because of what Christ has accomplished for us.

The Baptism of the Lord teaches several vital truths. First, Jesus fully identifies with sinners even though He has no sin of His own. He doesn't minister from a safe distance but enters completely into our human experience, including our need for cleansing and renewal. Second, Jesus begins His ministry empowered by the Spirit. He doesn't rely on His own divine nature alone but submits to the Father's will and operates in the Spirit's power—the same Spirit available to us. Third, Jesus is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well pleased, and through baptism into Christ, we share that identity. We are beloved children, recipients of the Father's approval, objects of His delight—not because we've earned it but because we're in Christ. Fourth, the Trinity works together for our salvation. The Father sends, the Son obeys, the Spirit empowers. Our redemption isn't the work of one person of the Godhead but the unified action of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. On this Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we remember that Jesus' baptism inaugurated His saving mission, and our baptism unites us to Him in that mission, making us beloved children empowered by the same Spirit to live as Jesus lived—in obedience to the Father, in solidarity with sinners, and in the power of the Spirit.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for sending Your beloved Son to identify fully with sinners, to be baptized in solidarity with us, and to inaugurate His ministry empowered by Your Spirit; help us remember that through baptism into Christ, we too are Your beloved children in whom You are well pleased, not because of our achievements but because of our union with Jesus; empower us by the same Spirit to live as Jesus lived, in Your holy name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This Baptism of the Lord Sunday, reflect on your own baptism (or consider being baptized if you haven't been), remembering that through union with Christ, the Father's words over Jesus—"This is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased"—are spoken over you, and let that identity shape how you live this week.

I love you and I thank God for you. You. matter to God and you matter to me. Make being a better servant your number one resolution for 2026!

Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.